Page:Mind (New Series) Volume 8.djvu/279

 NEW BOOKS. 265 An Outline of Philosophy, with Notes Historical and Critical. By JOHN WATSON, LL.D., Professor of Moral Philosophy in Queen's University, Kingston, Canada. Glasgow : James Maclehose & Sons. Pp. xxii., 489. This is a second edition of the book published by Prof. Watson in 1895 under the title, Comte, Mill and Spencer, an Outline of Philosophy. The two titles give some indication of the general nature of the book. As an " outline of philosophy " it has something to say on most of the chief problems of metaphysics or philosophy proper ; but it does not directly deal with psychology, logic or economics, and it hardly does more than touch upon the questions of political philosophy, aesthetics and the philosophy of religion. Thus it does not profess to give a " complete system of philosophy," but it is offered as " a manual, which cannot do more than awaken an interest in philosophical problems, and indicate the lines on which in the opinion of the writer they may be solved ". It need hardly be added that these lines are the lines of Idealism as it is ex- pressed in the writings of Green and of Mr. Edward Caird. The method of the book is suggested by the original title. The various subjects are treated in logical order, proceeding from the most abstract to the most concrete, while the discussion is throughout kept close to the history of philosophy, each section being developed by exposition and criticism of some notable thinker. Thus Prof. Watson might have added to the names in his original title those of Darwin and Kant. In this new edition the historical element is strongly reinforced by the addition of nearly 200 pages of " notes historical and critical," dealing with specific problems in the writings of Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, Hegel and Lotze. There are obvious educational advan- tages in such a method as that which Prof. Watson has adopted. By the continual discussion of other theories he prevents the systematic exposi- tion of his own opinions from taking too dogmatic and absolute a form ; and, on the other hand, as the general plan of the book is not chronological but logical, the student is enabled to realise the unity of the great philo- sophical problems much more thoroughly than if he were to read an ordinary " history of philosophy," which resembles too much a mere list (or catalogue raisonne) of systems. Yet Prof. Watson's method has its dangers, and the very excellence of his work may be its undoing by tempting students to content themselves with his admirably lucid exposi- tions and to neglect the "first-hand study of the authors" on which he rightly insists. The book falls naturally into five main parts, discussing (1) the problem of philosophy in general, including such questions as the relation of philo- sophy to the special sciences and the relativity of knowledge (with special reference to Comte) ; (2) the philosophy of nature, including geometry, the science of numbers and the physical and biological sciences (with special reference to J. S. Mill and Darwin) ; (3) the philosophy of mind, or the problem of the relation between subject and object (with special reference to Mr. Spencer) ; (4) moral philosophy, including the problems of duty, freedom, the summum bonum, and rights (with special reference to Kant) ; and (5) the philosophy of the absolute, including the philo- sophy of religion and aesthetics (again with special reference to Kant). Obviously this is an immense deal of ground to cover in a single volume too much to make a complete success possible. Yet, taking into con- sideration the magnitude of his attempt, Prof. Watson's achievement is remarkable : he has certainly succeeded in putting all the main issues very clearly before his readers. Occasionally, but not often, he allows